It was a 15-minute drive home from the hospital. But during both pregnancies, I spent days deciding what outfit would be just the right thing to introduce my daughters to the world. For many babies, the coming home outfit is the first “real” clothing they will put on. It is also likely to be shared across social media, celebrating the big moment of leaving the cocoon of the hospital and entering the real world. It makes sense then that many moms-to-be put a little extra thought and planning into the iconic outfit.
Of course, that doesn’t mean you have to. Bringing a baby home from the hospital is a joyous (albeit slightly terrifying) time for new parents. The outfit they are wearing will not make or break the experience. However, there are some key things to remember when planning your newborn’s coming home outfit. From comfort, weather, and practical advice, we share our top tips for choosing a newborn’s outfit and highlight a few of our favorites below.
Tips for Choosing Baby’s Coming Home Outfit
Whether you live just around the corner from your birth center or hospital or have a long drive ahead, most babies will be traveling home in an infant car seat. Babies should be dressed, keeping both comfort and weather in mind. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
Dressing for the Weather & Warmth
Your location or time of year when giving birth may impact outfit choices. Of course, you want to ensure your baby is warm enough in the cold and keep them from overheating in warmer temperatures. However, as a rule of thumb, most new babies should be dressed with warmth in mind. Babies have more difficulty regulating their body temperature and therefore rely on us to dress them appropriately.1
A long-sleeve footed pajama or layette set is a great choice for most newborns. A hat and socks (if not using footed pants) will help keep them warm without risking overheating. Be sure to bring a few different sizes of hats if you want one to match the outfit you pick. I’ve experienced having too large of a hat and a baby with a giant head that did not fit a newborn hat. Fortunately, I was lucky to have a second option for both. Most hospitals provide hats that would also work perfectly fine for the car ride home.
A Few Practical Tips for Dressing Your Newborn for Travel Home:
- While your focus might be on the car ride home, remember to dress your baby in something that will make life easier once you get home. Fancy is cute until you have to undress and redress a fussy or sleepy newborn.
- Frequent diaper changes mean you will have to undo snaps or deal with complicated articles of clothing continually. So make it easy on yourself and go with something simple!
- Bring two outfits (in two different sizes) in case you end up with a bigger baby. I had a 10-pounder, and she did not fit into many newborn outfits!
- A onesie might work fine. But as a new mom, you will absolutely notice and cringe at the car seat straps touching their sensitive little skin, so a light pair of pants or leggings might be a helpful addition.
- When looking for material, go for something soft and not scratchy, like cotton or bamboo.
- Pro Mom Tip: Go for footed pants instead of pants and socks. They are much easier to use, stay on, and keep track of!
My personal preference is an adorable long-sleeved footed onesie (or footie pajamas as they are often called). This provides just enough coverage on the skin to protect against sun, wind, or chill while being light enough to help them remain comfortable (or as comfortable as you can be as a 1-3 day-old baby strapped into a bucket seat). In addition, they are easy to change diapers in and can transition from car seat to arms to bassinet without issue.
25 Adorable Coming Home Outfits for Baby
With all of that said, here are our picks for the most adorable outfits for bringing baby home:
Preemie Favorites
You can take the stress out of dressing your baby with these adorable kimono short-sleeved onesies. Nothing has to go over their head with these onesies, and the materials are GOTS certified (95% organic cotton + 5% spandex). Perfect for your preemie!
Gowns are a personal favorite of mine for the newborn stage. The ease of changing a diaper in them is unmatched. In addition, I love the beautiful colors and prints of these gowns!
A darling three-piece set that keeps baby warm and offers easy access for changing! Feet are built into the pants, which means no need for socks that will likely fall off anyway!
Make a Welcoming Statement
Outfits or hats with cute sayings like “Hello World” or “I’m new here” make for a cute and timely photo opp. Both Amazon and Etsy have many great choices for both boys and girls. This New To The Crew set has just the right amount of attitude for bringing home your new little boy. And this baseball-themed “Take Me Home” outfit is a home run for the big day.
This adorable set is the picture-perfect way to announce your baby’s arrival and name! I love the matching bow and option of pants or bloomers!
Personalized onesies are also a special way to announce your baby and their name to the world and make for a great keepsake later on. 🙂
Sibling Set
Nothing is cuter than a doting Big Brother or Big Sister with a newborn sibling. Older siblings can share their excitement for and match their new best friend with these adorable Coming Home shirts available from Etsy.
Still, another option would be to have your newest addition wear the same outfit as a sibling or family member. It is both meaningful and fun to compare photos after the fact. For example, my oldest, Charlie, wore the same hat her older cousin wore as an infant, and it gave my sister and me all the feels when looking through pictures.
Gender Neutral
This waffle set is comfortable and stylish enough for either gender! It comes in multiple colors that you can choose from.
We also love these adorable neutral options that include either a hat or a bow. This way, you are equipped no matter what gender you have. 😉
And we don’t want to forget sweet options for rainbow babies and babies born at home. 🙂
Classically Sweet
With dainty flowers for a little princess, this sweet-footed set is a parent favorite on Amazon with over 1,200 reviews.
A precious girl option with a matching hat! The rose print is so sweet for a new baby.
This superstar set is perfect for your new baby boy and comes with a matching hat, bib, and tulle bag.
Despite what you may think, babies DO NOT need a jacket on in the car. It’s also not recommended as part of car seat safety guidelines. However, Faux Jackets sets like this one from Little Me would be adorable as a going-home outfit. It shows she is ready to hit the road with the cropped cardigan design.
Warm/Cold Weather Winners
This outfit is the type of classic look you could keep and pass down to future generations! Timeless style and lightweight material to keep baby cool in warmer weather.
Are you having a baby in the winter? They will be winter-ready in this cable knit sweater romper. The pristine white is ideal for both boys and girls (though watch out for those early diapers, this might be tricky to get stains out!)
Do you need a special going-home outfit for a baby? No, of course not. But they do need to be wearing something. And it is a once-in-a-lifetime occasion as that baby (or babies) transitions to life at home with the family. So have as much fun as you want in selecting the perfect one!
On a budget? These outfits can certainly be worn again. Even selecting a favorite outfit from baby shower gifts is one way to make the day memorable without incurring additional costs. It is one decision in those first few weeks that can be simple, unlike many of the rest!
